The Middle East is a region which has a rapidly growing population, a large proportion of it living in relative poverty. As the region industrializes and strives to increase agricultural output to meet growing demand, scant attention has been paid to worker health and safety or to environmental health and protection. Problems facing the Middle East include: exposure to hazardous chemicals used and produced by the petrochemical industry; the agricultural use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers; deteriorating conditions due to overcrowding, air pollution, and poor sanitation in cities; food contamination; poor working environments; and the need to ensure the availability of safe, uncontaminated drinking water. This conference aims to increase awareness of the potential environmental and occupational health impact of these and other exposures. Through the knowledge and skills acquired at the conference, participants will be better able to recognize, assess, and prioritize the risks posed by exposure to these conditions. Participants will also obtain information on approaches to: surveillance and monitoring of risks arising from environmental exposures; research on these risks and their impact; risk assessment and exposure assessment; and epidemiological studies and health surveys. The conference will aim to increase participants' awareness of the essentials for effective risk management, control, and prevention. They will be introduced to important policy development and implementation issues, the rationale for setting appropriate standards and regulations, as well as issues in communication of information regarding risks and hazards to workers and the general population. Participation in the conference will help scientists and policy makers in the Middle East understand their important roles in contributing to less hazardous living and working environments in their respective countries, leading to better and more effective environmental and occupational policies and legislation in the region. A further goal of the conference is to serve as a forum for greater interaction between leading scientists and policy makers from the various countries. This is likely to lead to subsequent scientific and research collaboration among the participants, and to the sharing of information on effective approaches to problems of mutual interest to the participants and their respective countries.